Here now we near the end of this journey of previews for the coming countries for our 11 months on the World Race. At this point, we will be looking toward month 10 of our journey, when we will be making a return trip the country where this whole World Race idea began for me. I'm confident that had I not embarked on the vision trip to Cambodia last summer, the idea for Adventures in Missions would never have been granted to me in a dream, and these next 11 months would never have been a possibility.
A Perfect 10: Cambodia
Abbrev. History
Cambodia's very recent history can be defined by the rise and fall of the Khmer Rouge. This communist dictatorship came to power during the Vietnam conflict, when the Viet Cong and was attempting a grab for power in northern Cambodia. Once the Vietnamese gained control of Cambodian territory, they imposed a new political infrastructure, which eventually became dominated by Cambodian communists. This political system eventually became known as the Khmer Rouge ("Khmer Rouge" translates to "Red Cambodians").
Under Pol Pot, the Khmer Rouge finally reached the capital city of Phnom Pen and took power in 1975. Pol Pot renamed the country "Democratic Kampuchea", and he greatly desired to model his new country after Mao-ist ideals. In what has become known as "The Great Leap Forward", Pol Pot evacuated cities, and forced large chunks of the population on marches to rural work projects.
Pol Pot wished to remodel his country on 11th century ideals, so he discarded Western Medicine, and destroyed temples, libraries, and anything considered "Western".
While much of the population attempted to flee into neighboring Thailand, all too many people were left behind, and out of the 8 million people were living in Cambodia at the time, it's estimated that over 2 million of them were murdered under the rule of the Khmer Rouge… that's over a quarter of the population, slaughtered in a matter of roughly 10 years.
There were many reasons for the extermination of the Cambodian people, but one of the groups that was heavily targeted were the educated elite of Cambodia.
Pol Pot obviously didn't want any possibility of an uprising from his people, so his main targets were teachers, doctors, lawyers, and often times, people were simply put to death because they "looked" educated. People say that to wear glasses during the Khmer Rouge was nearly a death sentence.
Eventually the United Nations stepped in and gradually brought the country back to some sort of normalcy in the early 1990's.
Cambodia currently stands as a constitutional monarchy, and amazingly, it wasn't until 2010 that the first Khmer Rouge leader was found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity… though many higher-ups from the Khmer Rouge, including Pol Pot, have already died, and will never stand trial.
Religion in Cambodia
Buddhism is practiced by over 96% of the Cambodian population, despite an attempt by the Khmer Rouge to wipe out religion all-together during the 1970's.
Islam is practiced by another 2% of the population, while 1% is made up of Christians.
What we're doing in Cambodia
Cambodia is a nation in need of hope. With much of the population having lived through at least some portion of the Khmer Rouge empire. This, along with the fact that Cambodia is one of the world's hot spots for human trafficking, makes for a generation in desperate need of the love of Christ, and the idea that redemption and grace is waiting for us if we are willing to accept it.
Teams in the past have done a lot of work with children, either teaching English, or working in some sort of VBS format. There has also been some work done in slums, evangelizing to the people of Cambodia who need love and recognition.
Why I'm Excited
I'm always excited to return to any country in which I have a personal history. Even though my time in Cambodia was short-lived, it's truly a beautiful nation with a lot to offer. I foresee a very fulfilling month where we get to spend a great amount of time with a young generation, who can grow up to greatly influence their country.
Fun Facts
In 2005, oil and natural gasses were found beneath Cambodia's territorial waters. Commercial extraction is expected to begin, which could profoundly affect Cambodia's economy.
The Cambodian flag is the only national flag in the world the feature a building.
Tarantula-kebabs are a popular delicacy in Cambodia.
50% of the Cambodian population is under the age of 15.
